Well... Maybe he doesn't...

I'm having a hard time figuring out Tyson... I guess I'm just having a hard time trying to figure out if he likes me or if he is just being nice, in a "we should be friends" kind of way, because guys, he is ridiculously nice and our temple adventures and date might be his way of saying I want to be just friends. Or were enough for him to decide he wants to be just friends? I'm confused about that possibility still and our date Saturday did not help a girl to figure that out like I thought it would... 

Our date changed from a biosphere2 adventure with just the two of us into the two of us helping a family from my church who needed the extra hands to clean up their house and make it more acceptable to live in. 

It was he and I and a whole bunch of other people doing all different things around their house; we didn't get to talk much. Sad day (I've been spoiled thus far in having hours of talk time with him in our car rides and that day, I wasn't spoiled). 

Don't get me wrong we talked, he told me about his lab, and some about his research which was cool. He's a smart one! When we left we both expressed we were extremely thankful we could help that family too. 

Everything that day seemed to work out with timing (except Tyson getting to choir practice on time. Hehe)... I did tell Tyson it was a hard decision not to be selfish and just go to the Biospehere for an adventure with just us... I wish I would have explained I felt our date was rushed; I was feeling like we both kinda got jipped. Maybe he'll read this someday and learn/understand what I wasn't able to fully communicate (Hola! If you ever do read this and don't be to weirded out k? K. )

The Spirit prompted the change in plans so that should have been the first sign it was for the better, but it took me a bit to truly see it that way. I'm writing this and thinking about the day, I completely see we didn't get jipped. I can completely see the good in the day too. Blessings really do come with sacrifice, even when the initial thought of sacrificing was hard to swallow ;)

Tyson and I got to experience bringing joy and love to a grandma and three sweet little girls lives. We had the chance to truly be more Christlike. We got to see each others work ethic and how each other react to/in different situations. We learned the importance of cleaning skillz. 

We learned that without GPS I don't know east to west so he should pay attention to where we are even if I am giving directions. We learned that 120 degrees is a very important temperature. I learned (he doesn't know my thrift store, not buying new stuff addiction yet) we are both cheap, or should I say provident? ;) 

The sad thing is, after learning all this about each other, I don't know if he'll adventure in asking me out again, because who knows if he saw it the same way I did. He did imply negatory on the idea of another date when I said maybe we could still try for the biosphere another time... 

I have no idea what will happen, I leave Tucson in 2 weeks, but I hope he'll be willing to try one more shot at a real date before I go. A date where its he and I laughing at each other and enjoying our time together maybe with white rock in the year 3000? 

If a date doesn't happen though, I'd be a little sad, but I will be thankful I have met a great guy who has helped me to recognize that great (still single) guys who love The Lord and His gospel do exist. Which knowledge is priceless.

And done. 

I like a boy and I think the boy likes me

I know, can you believe it?! haha

I have a date this Saturday with the cute Tyson from my institute class (he is the first guy I have actually flirtaciously given my number too, egads, I know! I put a piece of paper with my number on it in his scriptures before he closed them one day on our way out of class, hehe. Props for going waaaaaaaaaaaaaay out of my comfort zone on that one! No joke, it was tough).

It took a couple weeks for action on said cute mans part, but now we have a date set. We're going to check out the Biosphere2 and the coolness that it entails. I'm making breakfast empanadas for the drive :D I gotta show off my cooking skillz. haha. I'm excited if you can't tell. I really like talking with him, he cracks me up! Hopefully he'll sing on the drive too, because this girl likes that a lot! This is our first official date, but we've done other things together in the past...

Last weekend he and I met with Tyler* and Gina to do some of my families work in the Temple (baptisms and confirmations)... During our drive home that day we had an adventure pulling over and helping a family stuck on the side of the freeway. Good thing the boy speaks Spanish otherwise that would have been a lot more difficult. We've also hung out at Institute activities (yeah, I sucked it up and fought through the awkwardness of the activities to see him, luckily I'm good at meeting new people and not being clingy [ya know to avoid freaking him out about him being the reason I was there and I guess I really do like meeting new people, so it was win win] ;) One thing has been proven with a couple things we have done, we can enjoy each others company for extended periods of time, which is always nice.

Anywho, it's only Wednesday and I have two finals to get ready for tomorrow, but I'm kinda just excited for the weekend to come... maybe it's a good thing I have the finals to focus on for two days huh? lol. Now, back to the grind of my sculpture final. I'll try and write a post after Saturday and update y'all about the boy I like, who might like me.


(*It's kinda funny he and Tyler were home teaching companions when they were in the same ward together so they totally know each other, which tidbit of info I didn't learn about until the drive up to Mesa. I knew they knew each other, I just didn't know how well. We all had a good time together, temple was amazing and pancakes tasty. It's funny to me to be friends and have a history with people that someone who is relatively new in my life has a history with and is friends with too. Makes for fun socializing)

"Fear the Soda"

This is the sculpture piece and 100 word bio I had to write that is being published in my schools art journal Sandscript.

Bio bout me and as my sister put it, short, sweet, and to the point with undertones of hippie ;)

I'm pursuing my Associates of Fine Arts Degree, graduating this fall. I love creating in clay, wood, metal, and fibers. I believe we each have the ability to create something from "nothing" and find joy in doing just that.

I love to create in my kitchen too! I'm learning to be an advocate of whole food living which passion is guiding my creativity. I'm a self titled "foodie"; I'm in awe of the beauty that surrounds growing, cooking, preserving, and eating the fresh foods we have available to us.
"Fear the Soda" embodies what industrialized food means to me now.

Dreamt of Marrying Me? What?!!

Story time:

Once upon a time there was an attractive guy who hit on me at the library... He asked for my number, I thought "hey, why not", he called. We made plans for a lunch date, we then talked a couple times that week.

He cancelled the lunch date because something came up with his schedule. We kept talking on the phone, and made plans for the following week. He was nice and we had a lot of thoughts in common.

We believed a lot of the same things about society and culture, we agreed on a lot of the same things about God. He isn't Mormon, he is a Christian though. He even volunteers at his church on Saturdays to clean it. I liked that.

We also had the same thoughts about food and nutrition. About health and adventure. We talked every other day or so and got to know each other better each time.

Then date plan #2 fell through, his schedule again came up as busy and he couldn't make it.

This is the time I started to think "hmmmm, you're interested in getting to know me on the phone, why not in person?" I started recognizing why I prefer getting to know people in person.

I feel you get a better sense of who they are in person, because really, in person I can see how they react to me making faces at them and I can see if they'll laugh and make one back. Truly, they can see my idiosyncrasies and I can SEE (not guess) theirs.

That translates to telephones being a little to impersonal for my taste.

Anywho, back to the story. I decided to go for "third times the charm" on the idea of date actually happening. We talked more, set up the third date, but it never happened.

Interest was gone on my part. I had asked him why the dates kept falling through and all he could say was his schedule would get messed up (he was a student working on degree hours in the community/personal trainer so his time management/schedule was in his hands), but he felt it would "just happen".

Tell me people how that works?!

I can completely attest to "things" having a much higher chance of happening when we try to make said things happen. Just sayin'.

A week later I think he was testing my interest in him, so he stopped being the one to call. I didn't call him, that ended that.

Or so I thought...

Last Wednesday morning I got a phone call from a blocked number (I have no problem answering those calls so I did). It was him, it had been about 3 weeks since I talked to him, not gonna lie, it was a little awkward.

Within the first two minutes of talking, after exchanging the "how are things" question, he proceeded to tell me he couldn't let someone like me be passed up... he told me he had a dream a few nights before... A DREAM THAT WE GOT MARRIED.

Mind you this man probably doesn't remember exactly what I look like since he only saw me in person for like 10 minutes max, but he dreamed it still the same.

I told him that was weird. I'm not gonna lie. It was. It was weird that's why he called me, it's weird that he actually wanted to tell someone he wouldn't meet for a real date he dreamt they got married. When we got off the phone he called me his "love"

Just. Weird. There will now be no dates happening EVER per my say so. Creep factor wins out over good looking Every. Single. Time.

This experience with having a guy pursue me, if that's what you can call it, was a big eye opener on what I really want.

I want a worthy priesthood holder who can take me to the temple, but only AFTER we get to know each other, in person, on real dates, and decide TOGETHER that we both want the same things in life. God. Family. Service and Missionary work. Good Food ;). And all that good stuff.

Lessons learned.

The End.

As of Late

Since November (sorry for not posting sooner!!), some things have changed, but not much ;) Here is a quick recap:

Still in school, trying to learn everything I can, be a good student and classmate, and get good grades! I LOVE my art classes! (I've even come to appreciate and like math more!) I had a sculpture piece accepted into an art journal for the school I'm at. SO COOL!!! It'll be out in May. Hehe.

I'll be finished with my Associates of Fine Arts in December. I'm leaning toward a degree in family and marriage studies from BYUI or UA with a minor (or double major) in ceramics or 3D visual arts. Still not exactly sure where I'm going, but eh, it'll work out... I'm pretty sure I'll be moving from Tucson here in the next year or two though. I feel the itch to adventure elsewhere ;)

Summer plans have been secured! A week visit to the fam in St Louis, yay!, then off to the east coast, aka, I'm going back to camp! (Hopefully this will tide over the moving itch for a bit). I know my post about camp last year seemed not as "shining, happy, I want to go back there" kind of post, because camp was really hard, but camp was really amazing and it hurts my heart thinking about not going back. Plus I know what I'm getting myself into and can be prepared a little more. The friends I got along with best will be back too which is comforting.

Church is fabulous! I LOVE my calling! (It'll be put on hold while at camp, but they said I can come back to it:) Teaching the young women is amazingly rewarding. Getting to take part in discussion type teaching and learning with all of us participating is just cool! I know to understand the Gospel you have to study and pray, fast and ponder, and desire and apply. What a testimony builder to see these girls doing that! Trying to be prepared for teaching (remembering to do all of those things too) has been humbling.

Ive been lacking on going out with the missionaries in my ward, which I have been feeling in my soul! Every. Member. A. Missionary. Is a motto I'm trying to live by, along with the scripture found in the Book of Mormon in 3Nephi 27:27 "What manner of men ought ye to be? Verily I say unto you, even as I am."

I really do recognize my human nature and that the only way to achieve the divine nature that is Jesus Christ, I must give, have, obtain and be, as Peter writes in 2Peter 1:4-7, all diligence, faith, virtue, knowledge, temperance, patience, godliness, brotherly kindness, and charity. I have a long way to go, but I see the path and am trying to stay on it.

Institute! It has helped me so much in recognizing the need to study and know the scriptures and how to apply them to my life (there is also the perk of the cute Tyson in my class that usually sits by me and his amazing perspective ;).

I've officially aged out of institute and won't take classes during the day anymore. I'll see about a mid singles evening class or stick with my plan of doing genealogy during the 2hrs each week I would have been in class. I feel either is a good choice, but I am really leaning toward genealogy.

Work has been work, somehow I just keep doing hair and more hair. I usually love doing it, but sometimes not so much. I have to remind myself what a blessing it is in my life to have these skills and be thankful I have the clients and income I do from it. I have met great people doing hair and enjoy talking with them. (Their going to hate me whenever I tell them I'm moving)

Speaking of hair jobs, I resigned from Zotos! I felt prompted to do so. I think hair and educating about it is going to officially be on the back burner soon because I need that time to be working on organizing my home and my time a little better.

Since I have started to eat local, organic, mostly veggies and fruit diet, I need that said time to keep up with dishes and food prep ;) Wowza, there is A LOT more to clean up when you make everything from scratch.

Perk though, I've lost 15 or so lbs and quite a few inches since starting this in January. My mind, spirit, and body fully appreciate the change. As does my self confidence. It's been pretty amazing to realize once I have the food and eating right down, the exercising will kick in automatically. I've already noticed that I WANT to get out and be active because I FEEL a need to do it. My body is telling me too. That is a totally new experience, but pretty amazing. My friend Andy (the cute one I cut his hair, [mini update: we are totally friends, maybe even just client to stylist. We seem to be completely opposite on religious and political views, so no go, but he's nice and cute still]) had found a better/lighter bike for me so I can start commuting more on it than using my car too. Health benefits are sure to be had unless you count the higher risk of being hit by a car in Tucson. But whatev, its still worth the change ;)

This pursuit of my health change kicked in because I wanted a stronger testimony if the Word of Wisdom (Doctrine and Covenants Section 89) and tried The Lord on His promises contained in it. I know that by following His law of health we are blessed physically, mentally, but most importantly spiritually.

I feel good and I'm not confused about food anymore (I don't buy food thats packaged and I try and eat things as they would have come out of nature). Another perk, I don't feel guilt at all with what I eat, including fats and carbs. I think taking a nutrition class at the same time has added to the knowledge I needed to withstand the "not healthy for me" food. The book In Defense of Food by Michael Polan is highly recommended.

Well, I think that's a good start to catching up. I'll post again soon about the guy who flirted with me at the library and told me he had a dream we got married.

What I'm Thankful For: 10 days worth of thankfulness

So that whole blogging everyday didn't really happen eh? Lol. Here is a rundown of my Nov 2-11 in terms of thankfulness.

2nd: I am thankful for amazing friendships and the ability to laugh with those friends.

3rd: I am SOOOOOOOO very very thankful for the Temple and for making covenants with my Heavenly Father. The blessings that have come into my life since being endowed are innumerable.

4th: I am thankful for the opportunity to serve and help within my family! My sister was really sick and I had the chance to help. I love my family!

5th: I am thankful for talents. Those that have been given to me, hair cuttin especially has helped me this year, to use and especially those given to others to share with the world. There truly are so many talented people in the world I love it!

6th: I'm thankful for my sister being born 35 years ago this day. She is an amazing person with such patience and the ability to love and care about everyone. She is a great example of how to be a good listener.

7th: I am thankful for the ability to apologize for my imperfections, for the power of the words "I'm sorry".

8th: I am so thankful for the ability to to teach. I'm not Miss Amazing at it, but I am thankful all the same. Here is where I throw out there that I have the goal to become a Seminary/Institute teacher and will pursue that route after my bachelors is done. Yay teaching teenagers about Christ and the Plan of Happiness!!! Funny side note: after deciding I wanted to teach the youth I just got extended a new calling at church... I'll be the new Laurel advisor (teacher for the 16-18 year old girls) lol. The Lord truly does know what we need! It's also amazing I'll get to teach the new curriculum! Woot! Woot!

9th: I'm thankful for all of my family! My mom for loving me and teaching me so much and always being willing to look past my imperfections, my dad for showing me I can do anything if I put my mind to it and for his ability to see beauty in what's around him, my brother Scott for being so smart and being the kind of person I look up too, his wife Mindy for showing me by example how to live and sacrifice for a family. She is an amazing mom who I hope I can be like someday. Sam for being so fun, smart, and feisty. Katherine for being amazing! I love that she loves we have so much in common(drawing/art, cooking, and playing dress up for those who didn't know ;) Ben for being here and adding another amazing person to our family. Karatcha got a whole thankful day of her own, but I really am thankful for our friendship and how she calls me out to be better. I'm thankful for Patrick and his ability to love his family. I'm thankful for my babes, Jakob for being funny and for asking so many questions wanting to learn everything, Kirsten for how sweet and kind she is, Jonah for his ability to crack me up and for loving people so freely, Kaylah for being my princess babe and helper in the kitchen, she makes me smile. Riley for being an amazing artist and someone I look up to for all the talents and abilities he has, his wife Silvia for being one of my best friends who freaking cracks me up and helps me to have perspective on life. Their combo of spirituality has helped me out a lot. I truly am thankful for my family!!!

10th: I am thankful for my car, for the ability to go and do things I need to do and the things I want to do. Coug has taken me many places and I hope he'll be able to keep doing that. He's a great little car :)

11th: I am thankful for my freedom and those who serve to protect this country I love. I am thankful for America being a promised land of The Lord. (Check out The Book of Mormon for perspective on that coolness:)

At Stake Conference today I loved that we were told to be wise optimists, not pessimists. Everyday we truly do have something to be thankful for and that can help us to be better people. Now onto another week looking forward with optimism and thankfulness!

What I'm Thankful For: Things That Make Me Go Grrrr

Happy November 1st!!! I'm going to try and post everyday this month with what I'm thankful for and why...

I am sooooo thankful for the ability to learn. Even when learning makes me go Grrrrrr! I've recognized in my life whenever I'm learning something new I tend to be frustrated with it a little, okay maybe a lot, but once I've overcome the challenge of learning and I know something, my grrrr goes away and turns into joy for the knowledge I've acquired.

I really do appreciate the learning that is happening in my life especially all the cool stuff I get to learn in school. I'm learning how to draw better, use a soldering torch, and throw taller pieces on the pottery wheel. Believe you me, all of those things have made me go Grrrr!! I however still love learning even though sometimes its tough. I guess it just makes things that much better when we have to go through the hard part, learning, to get to the joyful part, knowledge.